As a Phoenix, reborn from the ashes
by ObviouslyElementary
Summary: Aberforth Dumbledore is the last one of his kind. And he understands that it is time to move on.


House: Slytherin

Year: first year

Category: drabble

Prompt: New Years Eve

Word Count: 793

The second war was over.

Finally over.

Aberforth looked around Hog's Head's interior, watching as people came and went, stopping for a butterbeer, or maybe just to chat, or asking for a firewhiskey for good measure. People he once knew now were completely changed; people who lived around Hogsmeade and some of the castle's workers who needed a little break from putting Hogwarts back together stopped by for some food and drinks.

People, like himself, who were slowly returning back to their normal lives, gathering what was left from the war and repairing cracks to try to fix what had been undone.

The war had taken many with it. Had taken so much. So very much like the first war. Very much like each and every fight with Dark Wizards, even if it was never considered a war. Aberforth himself had had way too many encounters with different Dark Wizards, he did not need to be reminded of all of them.

However this was the last day of 1998. The turning point was just one day away. And he had promised, to the boy and to himself that he would be different.

That he would change for the better.

One hundred years prior to all that mess, he still remembered a fateful winter. When his mother died, his brother had to give up his dreams, his sister went insane for a brief period of time... the winter that cost him much, followed by the summer that nearly ended his life.

And now, there he was, one hundred years later, alive and living, the last survival of that passage of year.

1999\. The year before the turn of the millennia. The year where he would have to start again, to look within, find the flaws and go after what was truly good.

The day turned to night, and he looked at the sky, wondering where exactly all the people he loved were, now that he was alone on earth, having survived two wizarding wars and still standing as the Hog's Head's owner.

He sat outside, Hogsmeade was empty for the moment, and looked down at his watch, waiting for the countdown. People reunited around their houses everywhere in Britain, and slowly the little village was united in the main street, to see the fireworks. It was just as relieving as the first war's new year. A chance for a restart.

But now Aberforth could really restart.

The countdown began, and he relaxed against the bench, looking up at the sky.

_5_

He remembered his father's last New Year's Eve with them, laughing and opening the champagne that he had worked hard to be able to buy. His mother's favorite. A bottle of it laid unopened in his personal collection.

_4_

He remembered his mother's perfume that she insisted on using throughout the New Year's Eve, to make sure the flowers would bloom and fill their house with delight, no matter the darkness. He made sure to keep the vase of flowers always watered by his window.

_3_

He remembered Ariana's delight whenever choosing a new dress to wear for New Year's Eve. Usually she went with their mother, but once or twice she took him instead. He kept the dress clean and folded inside his closet.

_2_

He remembered Albus' stories about past years, always making sure to find a book that contained a new wizarding story to be read around New Year's Eve. He kept the last book he read inside a locked drawer by his bed.

_1_

He knew the truth now. The truth about everything. Aberforth knew that because of some destiny trick, all that happened to him was bound to happen anyway. He thought he could avoid it, he always did, but in the end they were all gone, and he was still standing, using that lonely moment to remember and keep their memories alive inside his heart, knowing very well that if they could, they would be counting down with him.

_Happy New Year!_

The fireworks exploded in the sky and his teary eyes looked up, chuckling weakly at how beautiful it all looked. Slowly, he retrieved his wand from his pocket, and closed his eyes, pointing it to the sky.

"This is for you" he whispered into the lightened up night. "And for me. I will never forget you, but it is beyond time to move on."

And with a flicker of his wand, a bright red light went flying through the air to meet the rest of the fireworks, his eyes opening in time to see the explosion forming a beautiful phoenix in the air, causing cheers to be heard all around Hogsmeade.

It was time to forgive. To start anew.

He was a Dumbledore after all.


End file.
